Joint Structure for an Air Valve

ABSTRACT

A joint contains: a body, at least one locking block, at least one controller, and at least one resilient element. The body has an inlet segment, an outlet segment, an air channel, wherein the outlet segment has a connection orifice. Each locking block has a tooth and a driving portion, the tooth is controlled to move between a first position and a second position, and between the first position and the second position is defined a reverse driving travel obliquely extending to the inlet segment. Said each locking block also has a coupling shaft, wherein the reverse driving travel is arcuate, and the tooth, the driving portion, and the coupling shaft are opposite to one another. Each element urges the tooth to move to the first position and is pressed so that the tooth moves to the second position along the reverse driving travel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a joint connected with an air valve so as to fill air into a vehicle tire, and more particularly to an air valve which is connected and is removed quickly and easily at high pressure.

Description of the Prior Art

A conventional air valve contains a check valve and is connected with a vehicle tire so as to fill air into the vehicle tire by using a pump, and the pump has a joint connecting with the air valve. However, as filling the air into the vehicle tire, a fixing device on the joint is unlocked so that the joint is in connection with the air valve, and the fixing device is locked so that the joint locks with the air valve, thus filling the air into the vehicle tire.

The fixing device is operated troublesomely in three types as following:

A. The fixing device is rotated tightly, and the joint has a rubber ring configured to retain the air valve, wherein the joint does not cooperate with threads on the air valve, but its rubber ring removes easily as filling the air at high pressure.

B. The joint contains female threads defined therein, and the air valve has male threads formed therein, hence as rotating the air valve to fill the air into the vehicle tire at the high pressure, its male threads screw with the female threads of the joint. However, such a screwing manner is slow and inconvenient.

C. The joint contains threads defined thereon so that when the joint is pressed, its threads screw with the air valve. Bust such a pressing manner is operated with user's two hands, and before or after connecting the joint with the air valve, the fixing device is locked or unlocked, thus causing complicated and troublesome operation.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a joint which fills air into a vehicle tire via an air valve at high pressure, and when the air valve is pushed outwardly by excessive air pressure, since a coupling shaft of each locking block is secured in a connection orifice, a tooth moves to an inlet segment in a reverse driving travel between a first position and a second position, and the tooth of said each locking block is pulled to outer threads in the reverse driving travel, hence the tooth of said each locking block engages with the outer threads of the air valve forcefully so that the air valve does not remove.

Further objective of the present invention is to provide a joint which is operated by user's one hand easily, as connecting the joint with the air valve or removing the joint from the air valve, such as inserting the air valve into the air channel from the outlet segment, and the joint is removed from the air valve easily by pressing a manual operating portion of said each controller.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a joint in which two first fringes and two second fringes of the outlet segment of the body are flat so as to be applicable for air valves or vehicle tires of various sizes.

A joint provided by the present invention contains: a body, at least one locking block, at least one controller, and at least one resilient element.

The body has an inlet segment, an outlet segment, an air channel defined between the inlet segment and the outlet segment, wherein the outlet segment has a connection orifice.

The at least one locking block is fixed in the outlet segment of the body, each of the at least one locking block has a tooth formed on an inner side thereof, and said each locking block has a driving portion arranged on an outer side thereof, wherein the tooth is controlled to move between a first position and a second position. Between the first position and the second position is defined a reverse driving travel obliquely extending to the inlet segment. The first position is located in the air channel, and the second position is located outside the air channel, said each locking block also has a coupling shaft formed on one side thereof and secured in the connection orifice so as to produce the reverse driving travel, wherein the reverse driving travel of the tooth of said each locking block is arcuate, and the tooth, the driving portion, and the coupling shaft are opposite to one another, wherein the tooth is close to the air channel, the driving portion is adjacent to the inlet segment, and the coupling shaft is proximate to the outlet segment.

The at least one resilient element urges the tooth of said each locking block to move to the first position, and as controlling the driving portion, each of the at least one resilient element is pressed so that the tooth moves to the second position along the reverse driving travel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the application of a joint according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the exploded components of the joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the exploded components of a part of the joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side plane view showing the operation of the joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is another side plane view showing the operation of the joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an amplified perspective view showing the assembly of a part of the joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side plane view showing the operation of the joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is another side plane view showing the operation of the joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is also another side plane view showing the operation of the joint according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side plane view showing the assembly of a joint according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a side plane view showing the assembly of a joint according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a joint structure for an air valve according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a joint 1 which is connected with an air valve 2 so as to fill air into a vehicle tire (not shown), the air valve 2 includes outer threads 2A defined around an outer peripheral side thereof, and the joint 1 includes: a body 10, a stop ring 20, at least one locking block 30, at least one controller 40, and at least one resilient element 50, 60.

The body 10 has a first casing 101 and a second casing 102 connected with the first casing 101, the body 10 also has an inlet segment 11 and an outlet segment 12, wherein the inlet segment 11 is coupled with an air supply source and is circular, and the outlet segment 12 is flat and has two first fringes 121 and two second fringes 122, between the inlet segment 11 and the outlet segment 12 is defined an air channel 13 so as to flow air, wherein at least one of the two second fringes 122 of the outlet segment 12 has an connection orifice 14, and among at least one of the two second fringes 122, the inlet segment 11, and the outlet segment 12 is defined a groove 15, the air channel 13 has a pushing portion 16 formed therein, and the pushing portion 16 does not stop the air channel 13 between the inlet segment 11 and the outlet segment 12. In addition, one end of the air valve 2 inserts into the air channel 13 from the outlet segment 12.

The stop ring 20 is mounted in the air channel 13 and does not stop the air flowing between the inlet segment 11 and the outlet segment 12, wherein when the one end of the air valve 2 inserts into the outlet segment 12, a check valve (not shown) of the air valve 2 is pressed by the pushing portion 16 to turn on, and the one end of the air valve 2 abuts against the stop ring 20 so that the air flow smoothly among the air valve 2, the air channel 13 and the inlet segment 11, and external air does not flow into the air valve 2.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, one of the at least one locking block 30 is applied in the joint 1. As illustrated in FIG. 11, two of the at least one locking block 30 are applied in the joint 1, wherein each of the at least one locking block 30 is arranged on each of the two second fringes 122 of the body 10, and said each locking block 30 has a tooth 31 formed on an inner side thereof and has a driving portion 32 arranged on an outer side thereof, wherein the tooth 31 is controlled to move between a first position 30A and a second position 30B (as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6), and between the first position 30A and the second position 30B is defined a reverse driving travel 30C obliquely extending to the inlet segment 11, wherein the reverse driving travel 30C is arcuate, the first position 30A is located in the air channel 13, and the second position 30B is located outside the air channel 13. Said each locking block 30 also has a coupling shaft 33 formed on one side thereof and secured in the connection orifice 14 so as to produce the reverse driving travel 30C, and the tooth 31, the driving portion 32, and the coupling shaft 33 are opposite to one another, wherein the tooth 31 is close to the air channel 13, the driving portion 32 is adjacent to the inlet segment 11, and the coupling shaft 33 is proximate to the outlet segment 12, hence the first portion 30A, the second position 30B, and the reverse driving travel 30C are defined.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, one of the at least one controller 40 is applied in the joint 1. As illustrated in FIG. 11, two of the at least one controller 40 are employed in the joint 1, wherein each of the at least one controller 40 is arranged on said each second fringe 122 of the body 10, and said each controller 40 has a manual operation portion 41 defined on an outer side thereof and has a controlling portion 42 arranged on an inner side thereof so as to mate with the driving portion 32, wherein when the manual operation portion 41 is pressed, the controlling portion 42 actuates the driving portion 32 to move outwardly so that the tooth 31 moves between the first position 30A and the second position 30B. Furthermore, said each controller 40 also has a coupling column 43 inserted into the groove 15 so as to form a movement travel, after pressing the manual operation portion 41.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, two of the at least one resilient element 50, 60 are applied in the joint 1. As illustrated in FIG. 11, two of the at least one controller 40 are employed in the joint 1, wherein four of the at least one resilient element 50, 60 is fixed among the body 10, the at least one controller 40, and the at least one locking block 30 so that the tooth 31 of said each locking block 30 is located at the first position 30A, and as pressing the manual operating portion 41 of said each controller 40, the resilient element 50 is forced by the manual operating portion 41 so that the tooth 31 moves to the second position 30B along the reverse driving travel 30C.

Referring to FIGS. 7 to 9, as desiring to connect the joint 1 and the air valve 2 together so as to fill the air into the vehicle tire (not shown), the air valve 2 is inserted into the air channel 13 from the outlet segment 12 by user's one hand, and the tooth 31 of said each locking block 30 is pushed by the outer threads 2A to rotate and remove in the reverse driving travel 300, hence the air valve 2 is inserted into the air channel 13 continuously, the check valve (not shown) of the air valve 2 is pushed by the pushing portion 16 to turn on, and the stop ring 20 abuts against the one end of the air valve 2 so that the air flows among the air valve 2, the air channel 13, and the inlet segment 11, and the external air does not flow into the air valve 2. Preferably the air is fed into the air valve 2 from the inlet segment 11, and the outer threads 2A of the air valve 2 engage with the tooth 31 of said each locking block 30 at the first position 30A by inserting the air valve 2 into the air channel 13 from the outlet segment 12.

When said each controller 40 is not pressed and the air valve 2 is removed or is pushed outwardly by excessive air pressure, as shown in FIG. 8, the tooth 31 of said each locking block 30 is pulled to the outer threads 2A so as to engage with the air valve 2 securely.

With reference to FIG. 9, the manual operating portion 41 of said each controller 40 is pressed by the user's one hand after filling the air into the vehicle tire, said each controller 40 presses the resilient element 60 and its controlling portion 42 rotates along the coupling column 43 so that the controlling portion 42 actuates the driving portion 32 of said each locking block 30, and the tooth 31 moves to the second position 30B from the first position 30A along the reverse driving travel 30C, hence the joint 1 removes from the air valve 2.

Referring to FIG. 10, as the controller 40 is not provided with the joint 1, the driving portion 32 extends outwardly from said each locking block 30 so as to be controlled manually, for example, as the driving portion 32 of said each locking block 30 is controlled manually, the resilient element 50 is pressed so that the tooth 31 moves between the first position 30A and the second position 30B.

Thereby, the joint 1 of the present invention contains advantages as follows:

1. The joint 1 fills the air into the vehicle tire via the air valve 2 at high pressure, and when the air valve 2 is pushed outwardly by the excessive air pressure, since the coupling shaft 33 of said each locking block 30 is secured in the connection orifice 14, the tooth 31 moves to the inlet segment 11 in the reverse driving travel 30C between the first position 30A and the second position 30B, and the tooth 31 of said each locking block 30 is pulled to the outer threads 2A in the reverse driving travel 30C, hence the tooth 31 of said each locking block 30 engages with the outer threads 2A of the air valve 2 forcefully so that the air valve 2 does not remove.

2. The joint 1 is operated by user's one hand easily, as connecting the joint 1 with the air valve 2 or removing the joint 1 from the air valve 2, such as inserting the air valve 2 into the air channel 13 from the outlet segment 12. Also, the joint 1 is removed from the air valve 2 easily by pressing the manual operating portion 41 of said each controller 40.

3. The two first fringes 121 and the two second fringes 122 of the outlet segment 12 of the body 10 are flat so as to be applicable for air valves 2 or vehicle tires of various sizes.

While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A joint comprising: a body having an inlet segment, an outlet segment, an air channel defined between the inlet segment and the outlet segment, wherein the outlet segment has a connection orifice; at least one locking block fixed in the outlet segment of the body, each of the at least one locking block having a tooth formed on an inner side thereof, and said each locking block having a driving portion arranged on an outer side thereof, wherein the tooth is controlled to move between a first position and a second position, and between the first position and the second position is defined a reverse driving travel obliquely extending to the inlet segment, the first position is located in the air channel, and the second position is located outside the air channel, said each locking block also has a coupling shaft formed on one side thereof and secured in the connection orifice so as to produce the reverse driving travel, wherein the reverse driving travel of the tooth of said each locking block is arcuate, and the tooth, the driving portion, and the coupling shaft are opposite to one another, wherein the tooth is close to the air channel, the driving portion is adjacent to the inlet segment, and the coupling shaft is proximate to the outlet segment; and at least one resilient element urging the tooth of said each locking block to move to the first position, and as controlling the driving portion, each of the at least one resilient element is pressed so that the tooth moves to the second position along the reverse driving travel.
 2. The joint as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one controller, between the inlet segment and the outlet segment of the body being defined a groove, each of the at least one controller is arranged on the outlet segment of the body, and said each controller has a manual operation portion defined on an outer side thereof and has a controlling portion arranged on an inner side thereof so as to mate with the driving portion, wherein when the manual operation portion is pressed, the controlling portion actuates the driving portion to move outwardly so that the tooth moves between the first position and the second position, said each controller also has a coupling column inserted into the groove so as to form a movement travel, after pressing the manual operation portion, and the at least one resilient element is fixed between the body and the at least one controller, and between the body and the at least one locking block.
 3. The joint as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one resilient element is fixed between the body and the at least one locking block.
 4. The joint as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one resilient element is fixed between the body and the at least one controller.
 5. The joint as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one resilient element is fixed between the body and the at least one controller and between the body and the at least one locking block.
 6. The joint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outlet segment of the body is flat and has two first fringes and two second fringes.
 7. The joint as claimed in claim 6, wherein said each locking block is arranged on each of the two second fringes of the body, and said each controller is arranged on said each second fringe of the body.
 8. The joint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air channel has a pushing portion formed therein, and the pushing portion does not stop the air channel between the inlet segment and the outlet segment.
 9. The joint as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a stop ring mounted in the air channel and does not stop air flowing between the inlet segment and the outlet segment.
 10. The joint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body also has a first casing and a second casing. 